To some homeowners, this might be a silly question. To others, it’s been burning on their minds but they’ve been afraid to ask it. Gas furnaces are common in this area of the country, but just the thought of a heater burning gas to keep your home warm frightens some people. They get visions of old boilers and furnaces that bump and bang in the middle of the night, leaking gas and smoke as they churn. This is a caricature of what furnaces are these days, and we’d like to talk about that.
While furnace maintenance and furnace repair in Plymouth, IN are absolutely necessary to keep it running safely, furnaces are inherently safe. They’re constructed with safety protocols that keep them from leaking gas, fumes, or smoke. If you’re new to the world of gas furnaces, or you’re a veteran who would like to learn a bit more, let’s go over why these systems are so safe.
Furnace Stability in the 21st Century
When we say furnaces are inherently safe, what we mean is that they’re designed with safety in mind. A furnace isn’t just some a chamber where heat and gas flow around naturally. It’s got a component called a heat exchanger, which is a clam-shaped unit that contains the gas as it burns. This component allows the gas to be burned and fumes to be contained in an airtight space, while the warmth radiates into the heating chamber. The heat exchanger exchanges heat from the area with fumes and gas to the area with clean breathable air. Then, the air gets cycled into your home where you can feel it.
Basically, this component is a solid piece of powerful technology that doesn’t allow any unsafe material to get into your home. However, it goes without saying that maintenance and repairs are vital.
When a Furnace Can Become Unsafe
That heat exchanger we just mentioned can run into problems when it’s harmed through wear and tear. For example, a system that hasn’t been maintained, or a furnace that requires repairs that have been neglected can often undergo immense stress. That stress can cause the heat exchanger to crack and eventually start leaking gas, smoke, or carbon monoxide into your breathable air.
While furnaces are designed with safety in mind, furnaces can become unsafe when they are neglected or left in disrepair. Heat pumps and other heating systems don’t pose the same safety threat that furnaces do when they malfunction, so this is the one thing we’d ask homeowners to be aware of.
Repairs and Maintenance Are Key
Furnaces can only become unsafe through excessive wear and tear, as well as neglect and disrepair. There are two solutions to these problems:
- Furnace repairs are absolutely necessary and need to be done on a timely basis. The longer you neglect a problem, the more likely you are to have a furnace that’s unsafe.
- Furnace maintenance is a yearly service that allows a professional to inspect your system. They’ll be able to tell at a moment’s notice if your furnace is unsafe.
